Stop In the name of Kabuki!
by Canadino
Summary: The Vongola enter the biggest undercover mafia operation of their lives...Operation Kabuki! Where nothing and no one is exactally what they seem...will the show go on? 1827, 8059, 6984
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: If Katekyo Hitman Reborn were mine, I wouldn't need to write fanfics. If any of these songs were mine, I wouldn't be writing fanfics.**

Background music: --

**Minimal fluff 09!**

--

Stop! In the name of Kabuki!

The mafia was infamous for many things, including black market smugglings, assassinations, drug dealing, cover-ups, and many more illegal activities. The Vongola was going for something less orthodox.

Kabuki.

Personally, Tsuna was ready to pitch the idea but this would mean he would probably have to go through Reborn first, and that tutor was anything but kind. This mindset forced him to sit docilely in the meeting room next to Basil, who had also received the orders (summons) from the enigmatic infant. Even so, he could not stop his hand from shaking with suppressed embarrassment as he held the innocent manila folder that had delivered him the words to his doom.

"Uhm…could you explain what this is about?" Basil broke the silence (staring match) between the two nineteen year olds and Reborn. He waved the folder a bit for emphasis but he also looked skeptical at the idea as Tsuna.

Sighing dramatically, Reborn stood up from the little pillow he used as a chair and leapt forward, snatching the folder from Basil's hands. "This is Operation Kabuki. Listen up, because I'm only explaining this once.

"Basically, the Hatsuhana famalia is the target of this operation. As you may (or in Tsuna's case, may not) know, the Hatsuhana famalia is the second seat in the rankings of mafia family powers. There is no clear number one, but the Hatsuhana come pretty damn close to it. They know it; word has gotten out from a friend of a friend of a friend of an enemy that the Hatsuhana is planning an alliance with the Volgadro familia, which is pretty high up on the rankings as well. Don't question it, Tsuna, I had Fuuta look it up.

"Problem? Yes, there is a clear problem. If these two powerful families were to pair up, their brutal history places them in the red for a whole world massacre. Both families have taken out countless numbers of influential families and peoples in history. It is apparent that if they were to combine, this would equal a world genocide and a spread of cultural purification in which the government is helpless to solve. Again, don't question it Tsuna, because if the government could step in to stop it, the mafia would not exist.

"However, there is a way to stop this alliance from happening." Reborn held the folder up above his head. "The head of the Hatsuhana family, whom may I remind you has an arsenal of more than fifty thousand members and more than a handful of nuclear weapons _and_ their artillery is top notch, making them an obvious power, is the owner of a popular Kabuki theater where he runs many black market dealings and businesses under the same roof. Many of the rich patrons that visit don't know their money is going toward mafia purposes and they stay ignorant of the owner's true colors. This is where the two of you come in.

"I have the whole operation planned out. You and Basil are going to sneak into the Kabuki theater as onnagata performers. Gokudera and Hibari will be nearby in case you need any assistance, and I will be overseeing its success. Success in what, you ask? We will break up the alliance before it even happens and assassinate the two bosses. The gangs are nothing without their heads and if we destroy them, the rest will fall in a domino effect."

"Hold up, Reborn-san," Tsuna said, breaking his monologue. "Why do we need to be part of the Kabuki thing? Why can't we just go shoot up the place and take this guy out?"

"Dame dame Tsuna. First," Reborn started, holding up one finger, "we do not have enough information about the linguistics of the alliance that is going to take place. The showy boss, Takeyama, has written a whole play about the alliance, in which the end will bring along the end of all the viewers and a short massacre of the city which the theater resides in. In other words, this is a ticking time bomb. The play is going to premiere in a month and a half, and we do not have enough inside information to unravel and destroy this plan without working an inside job. Two, in the days heading up to this alliance, the two families will be gathering enough firepower to take out the city. We must not let ourselves focus on one problem and be killed by another. Three, if we have insiders, we will be able to access a lot of information that may lead to the families' downfall. Four, no, we cannot 'shoot up the place' because both families' have access to a broad vein of communication and will know if there is an attack and send backup faster than you can even turn around. As I said before, both families wield a considerable amount of manpower and we will be quickly outnumbered if we try something as rash as that.

"Fifth…" With that, Reborn spread out his fingers. "If we do it on the day and succeed, this event will bring greater glory to the Vongola family than you could ever expect. Not only will we be taking out two of the most influential and dangerous mafia families, but we will gain the respect and support of all the underlings it has abused. In other words…_we as the Vongola will be number one_." With a slap of the folder for emphasis, Reborn finished. "Any questions?"

"Yes, still many. Why onnagata? Why can't we have Gokudera and Hibari be normal male actors?"

"They stand out too much. And the theater has openings for onnagata. Why are you complaining? You two can put your given talents to work."

Tsuna glanced at Basil, who shrugged. It was either a sarcastic compliment or a kindly insult. Whichever, neither could tell.

"What will Gokudera-sama and Hibari-sama's roles in the project be?"

"They will be made apparent as we go along."

"Oh, yes…most important question, Reborn." Tsuna raised his hand faintly. "Our survival rates…in other words…the percent of success?"

"Oh, I figured that out as well. Seeing as this goes through as planned…you have a two percent chance of succeeding. That counts in that neither of you flub up your stories or screw up in any way. I know for a fact that both families are in high tension and high alert and have even killed some of their own to rat out any possible traitors. You two are treading in dangerous waters. But I'm sure you can make it!" Reborn smiled rather unassumingly.

Tsuna didn't know about Basil, but his stomach had a horrible lurch.

--

"Hello, my name is Chiharu, and I will be assisting you two on becoming the most girly men in the world!"

At Reborn's request, a family friend had been brought in to help the two begin their training as onnagata. The family friend came in the form of Chiharu, a sadistically smiling twenty-year-old who had bright orange streaks in her black hair and her hands seemingly frozen in the form of holding a whip. She looked ready in inflict blood, and although Reborn had said that she was an assistant for hire and was in no way affiliated with any mafia doings, Tsuna knew that if given the opportunity, that girl could inflict some serious damage. Almost like a female Reborn.

Basil merely blinked. "Chiharu-sama, how long is the training because Reborn-sama said we had to join the troupe as soon as possible."

"I run things on a tight schedule as well," Chiharu spelled out, acting like a student who was called on and was now reciting the answer as mechanically as possible, "but let me tell you; by the time I'm done with you two, you will have effectively lost the last of your masculinity and will attract people whom you probably aren't interested in attracting. Well, such is life in the mafia. Any questions before we begin?"

Tsuna was going to ask her relation to Reborn, but Chiharu barked her orders before he could even open his mouth. "First of all, I'm going to have to redo your diets. You two are skinny, yes, but not lanky enough to be a proper onnagata. I'll tell the cook to reduce the sugar and carbs in your meals. Also, from now on, you two will be dressing in these." Whipping out two gorgeous yukatas in the brightest colors imaginable, Chiharu pushed them on the boys. "I do not want to hear any complaining. To act like a proper lady on stage means you must act like a proper lady in real life. If you continue to be butch when offstage, you will become mechanical and fake onstage. Therefore, you must always be on guard; no more stomping around. And stop slouching, Tsunayoshi! Stand straight! Basil, I want to see your eyes! Try and keep your bangs from hanging in your face all the time!"

So started the regime of Chiharu and her mission.

Gokudera, who always lingered around Tsuna to make sure of his welfare, was promptly carted off, with the words, "A proper lady never has suitors watching her at all times." Still, at the times where Gokudera managed to duck under the hawkish eyes, he shivered at the treatment Tsuna and Basil were treated. And he thought women were supposed to be _gentle_.

"Wrong, wrong, wrong! How do you not know how to simply stitch a button back on, Tsuna? Even Basil can do it! Who are you going to depend on to do it when you no longer live with your mother? _Or do you plan on living with your mother forever you sorry excuse for a man_?"

Gokudera thanked his lucky stars that he had been given a sister like Bianchi to toughen him up beforehand. Then picturing her face, passed out in the hallway.

--

It had been rough (not to mention ego-murdering), but finally the two were passable onnagata in about two weeks flat.

"Presenting," Chiharu announced dramatically during dinner one night, with Reborn, Gokudera, Hibari, and Fuuta as the witnesses, "the duo that will run rampant amongst each viewer's hearts…I present to you…Tsuna-chan and Basil-chan!" She started a rather enthusiastic clapping that was only returned by Fuuta.

When no one appeared at the door, Chiharu stormed into the hallway and pulled both boys into plain sight. Reborn nodded at Chiharu approvingly although Gokudera nearly lost it.

"You…you can't do this to him! Tenth! You're…you're…"

The boy in question, Sawada Tsunayoshi, was now decked in a rather elegant kimono (sashes and ribbons abound) with a random but charming scattering of decorative flowers in his hair, which Chiharu had managed to (painfully) straighten the kinks out of. And…was that _makeup_ Gokudera detected? If he hadn't known the before picture, he couldn't have easily picked Tsuna out of a crowd of giggling girls!

"Eh…this is embarrassing…"

"Ah, but Basil-kun looks quite nice too," Fuuta interjected. Basil, who could even before give pretty girls a run for their money, looked even more stunning in his kimono (though it wasn't decorated like Tsuna's as Basil's face was already quite convincing feminine) and it was quite obvious that Chiharu hadn't spent as much time on him as she did Tsuna, but although some couldn't tell his gender before, it seemed obvious now he was…

"Reborn! You can't do this to them. This is seriously spitting in the face of Vongola!" Gokudera had stood up, glaring at the baby who was calmly eating dinner as if nothing had happened. "Not to mention, you're putting the Boss in this kind of get-up; you think you're doing the family a big favor?"

"Gokudera, I suggest you sit down unless you have any better suggestions on how to save the world from the Hanagadro alliance." It was a painfully true statement and Gokudera sat down in a huff.

"Hibari, you've kept silent from now, what do you think?" Reborn turned to the stoic young man, who was watching the two silently. It had not been the loner's choice to come to this dinner, but Reborn had held a meeting on the linguistics of the plan before it was carried out and since he was a part of it, he had to come to headquarters. He glanced at Reborn before suddenly staring at Tsuna, who flushed at the attention.

"It looks okay," he said shortly. "Convincible." This wasn't the reaction Chiharu was expecting but she swallowed it modestly and looked at the two like they were her children and they were finally graduating from collage. "Oh, you two look as cute as a button," she cooed, sounding annoyingly like a doting aunt. "The cat's meow. The bee's knees. The…"

"We get the point," Gokudera grumbled.

"Oh, but we're not done!" Chiharu looked shocked at such a suggestion. "This night's just beginning! This _is_ kabuki after all. So I had to teach them how to sing and dance! _That_ was a chore. But hopefully they've improved greatly." Clapping her hands, she motioned for them to get into places as she settled herself at the table. Gokudera gave her an open glare, which she shrugged off.

"Covered with the flowers, instantly I'd like to die, in this dream of ours!"(1) Basil's voice was not loud – in fact, it was too quiet for the stage, but it had a comforting melody that brought out his gentle demeanor. Chiharu figured Reborn knew what he was doing when he assigned her Basil. The boy was already polite and tranquil as his rain attribute even before; all she had to do was tweak a bit and have him hide a bit of his masculine mannerisms. After all, this was only for less than two months and they would go back to normal after that.

Now Tsuna had been more of a challenge. He was a natural slob and as Reborn had warned, useless. He tripped over his own feet. More or less, he was a lost cause, but he made up for it in spirit and personality. She would just have to make sure all his failings went together in a smooth mess, so even if he did screw up royally, at least he'd look good doing so. He had the frame for an onnagata but not the manner – she had to beat it in him, but at last, he was finally retaining (some) information and actually was (somewhat) dancing to the tune Basil had set up.

The two had some work to do though, as they were still rather stiff in front of others, but Chiharu figured it came with time and experience. And as she said before, after they shot up the place, they could go back to suits and guns. This was one of the most interesting assignments she had to do; the Vongola family really was as quirky as they say.

Tsuna tripped on his own feet. He came flying down in a whirlwind of limbs, fabric, and flowers.

"Tsunayoshi! What did I say about falling?"

"I'm sorry, Chiharu-san, but I don't think I will remember to – how did you put it – act like an 'elegant swan' when I'm tumbling to the ground." Rubbing his definitely bruised knees, he attempted to stand but had unraveled the sash around his waist and scattered the various layers of kimono around himself, effectively tangling himself to the ground. Basil stepped forward to help but Chiharu waved him away. "He can take care of himself. A woman is also self-sufficient after all."

Groaning, Tsuna started to gather up his many layers of clothing as Gokudera stayed seated at the table glowering at Chiharu (who seemed to have pinned him to the seat with a knife). The weeks of girl practice paid off, as Tsuna was able to get the layers back on in the right order, although he was missing the sash.

"It's right here." Hibari held out the silk sash but when Tsuna reached out to grasp it, pulled it back. "You tripped on your own feet, Sawada. I'll tie it on for you."

"Ah, I didn't know you knew how to work a kimono, Hibari-san," Chiharu mused, letting him take her disciple along. Tsuna stood still (horrified, you could say) and let the prefect tie the sash around his waist. He could have sworn Hibari had muttered something about how skinny he was, but he couldn't be sure because after it was tied, he was pushed back toward the door. Grabbing Basil, he disappeared into the hallway again.

"They improved a lot," Reborn said, finishing the last of the lasagna.

"I tried," Chiharu said vaguely. "Now they'll just have to pass the theater's standards. But they should. I hope," she added under her breath. "And pray."

--

Sergeant Ryohei was, you could say, the most enthusiastic police officer in the district.

Whenever a new face entered his department, he held a whole welcoming party with balloons and music. Whenever his department solved a particularly difficult case, he treated them to Korean barbeque and drinks all around. Whenever it was someone's birthday (or just whenever he felt like it), he would throw another party with balloons and music. He worked them to the bone but still made sure they were happy and safe at the end of the day. They were the department most ready for anything, murder, rape, theft, you name it.

Problem was, Ryohei could be a bit…_too_ enthusiastic.

Just a few months ago, during a stakeout, when he had spotted the criminal, he had gone on a loud, public confrontation that nearly got his whole troop killed.

Not to mention he was a rowdy drunk.

Days under Sasagawa Ryohei involved contempt from headquarters and days of inactivity.

There were twenty-four members of the police force in Ryohei's department so they acted in groups of three. The sergeant himself was in a trio consisting of himself, his little sister Kyoko (who had joined the force after her brother), and a young man named Yamamoto. Kyoko was a bright, cheerful young woman who made up for her size and demeanor with spirit and determination. She had followed Ryohei to the profession due to her strong kinship with her brother and her strong sense of justice. The two backed each other up and were the (too strong) rays of light of the department.

Yamamoto was something different but he showed up since the beginning and didn't seem to merge well with any other of the trios, so Ryohei took him under his wing. The young raven-haired man was a smiley kind of guy, much like the sergeant and his sister, but even the rest of the office knew he was more of a fighter than a negotiator, who sometimes hit-first-ask-questions-later. He had been on the wrong side of the law before he joined the force and rumors had it he still retained his criminal ways. Ryohei was all for sweeping instances like that under the rug and welcomed Yamamoto like a mentor to a mentee.

"Onii-chan! Onii-chan!" Kyoko burst into the office that fateful day, waving a folder above her head. "We have a _case_!"

Instantly, the whole office looked up like lions to fresh meat. Kyoko bounced up to her brother's office while most of the officers followed. Ryohei was doing push-ups with one hand while Yamamoto sat about staring out the window. Both turned at the excited woman.

"What's that, Kyoko-chan?"

"A case! Headquarters sent a case for us!"

Ryohei jumped to his feet. "Say it isn't so, Kyoko-chan!" There was no thoughts of what kind of case; a case was just what the office needed from weeks of inactivity. "What do we have to do?"

"It's big, onii-chan," Kyoko admitted, her face falling slightly. "We've got to have some run-ins with the _mafia_."

If Kyoko wasn't a police officer, Yamamoto thought dully, she could have been a perfect voice over. The hint of drama in her voice had alerted all her co-workers and they crowded into the office excitedly.

"Let's see!" Ryohei took the folder and skimmed it over. "Extreme! Listen up, men and women! Headquarters has sent us a case to watch Hana Theater! There have been sightings of mafia involvement and insider information states that there will be a big mafia event in a month or so! Dangerous to the extreme! So let's start! We must protect this city and her citizens at all costs!"

"Yeah!" The rest of the department, save Yamamoto, cheered happily, Kyoko especially. It was heart-warming to see her brother so enthusiastic about a case; she only prayed he wouldn't be too over-whelmed this time.

"So, Yamamoto," Ryohei said as the office cleared out in anticipation. "Ready for work?"

"I guess."

"Why aren't you excited?" Kyoko asked. Yamamoto always lacked enthusiasm for each case…alright, so Ryohei ended up messing most of them up, but it was the effort involved that really mattered, right?

"I am!" Yamamoto gave a dazzling smile, and the two didn't notice the indifference behind it. Ryohei turned to his sister.

"Do you know what the whole place needs to get ready for this case?"

"What, onii-san?"

"A good luck party!"

Figures, Yamamoto sighed to himself.

--

The gods of the mafia were smiling upon them, as both Tsuna and Basil found themselves admitted into the troupe. Chiharu had also attended the tryout as the two's manager.

"So…now…what will be your stage names? Feminine names, please." The woman who had conducted the tryout was a typical secretary with her no nonsense voice and stylish black rimmed glasses. She had her pen poised on the clipboard, waiting for the names. Tsuna and Basil both glanced at Chiharu for help.

The orange streaked hair young woman shrugged. It was entirely up to them, but she had neglected to tell them about the process. Ah, she supposed it wouldn't matter in the long run. Both had given fake names as not to tip the families they were getting involved into with the new recruits' true nature. She herself was not Chiharu – instead, Misaki.

"Tsuna…mi," Tsuna said, catching himself before he gave his name away. Hold the makeup, first he was a tuna, now he was a divine wind? Oh the things he would go through for the mafia.

"Tsunami…a-huh…" The secretary looked skeptical at the name but turned to Basil. "What about yours?"

"Ah…" His head had gotten fuzzy (he was never quite good at public speaking) and oddly enough, he wasn't thinking in Japanese anymore. Chiharu said a woman must be _sveglio, paziente, bella…_ "Bella."

"Bella. Okay…Tsunami-chan, Bella-chan, welcome to the Hana Theater! I hope you will both do your best!" As the woman turned to leave, a gleam of silver caught all three pairs of eyes and revealed a tiny holster in her right boot. Chiharu glanced at the two and caught the thought they were already thinking. _The mafia has this whole place covered._

"Congratulations, you two!" Chiharu rushed up to them, at the same time warning them to be careful with her eyes. Managers were allowed to watch and give advice during rehearsals, but this theater had a policy that backstage was for actors and actresses only. They only concluded the mafia was trying to keep its secrecy to a maximum. Backstage, they were game for any theater jargon and she wouldn't be there to bail them out. They nodded understandingly as they followed the woman to the back with their clothing.

"Now…since you two are newbies, you will be sharing a dressing room with the other newcomers, although they have months of experience. Primarily, the doors will be marked with certain colors: the black doors are only for the directors and theater superintendents. The red doors are for seasoned actors and actresses, and the purple doors are for the novices. Please do not enter any room that you are not allowed to be in. Likewise, higher ups can enter any room that they are above – for example, a red door actor may enter the purple door rooms of the novices, but we have a strict rule about male and female dressing rooms; gender accordingly, of course. The onnagatas have a section of their own." Tsuna walked past the marked doors and glanced at Basil – black, red, and purple were the Hatsuhana family colors. Before they could properly memorize the way and hallways, they were ushered into an empty dressing room. "The others are on lunch break so you can get your stuff organized. Here are your scripts." The woman handed them two thick packets. "You need them memorized by next week. Please don't worry; everyone will help you out. Don't mess around though; the theater does not approve of missed deadlines." This sounded sinister, although the woman was smiling. The two nodded slowly and she left them to their own.

Tsuna let out a sigh of relief. "Infiltrated. Great."

"I suppose it only gets harder from here, Sawada-dono."

"Yeah. Probably." Tsuna glanced at his script. "Basil-kun, what's _upstage_? Are there going to be stairs?"

--

Chiharu wanted to wait for the two before going out to lunch but they were just dilly-dallying so damned much! Her stomach was rumbling and like her, waited for no one. Dashing outside, she side-stepped a group of youngsters on her way to the nearest Raman shop.

"What was her damage?" one of the youths complained, scratching his shock of messy blonde hair in annoyance.

"Maybe your face scared her off," his friend muttered from next to him. He pointed at the cross-shaped scar on his partner's face.

"Like you should be talking, barcode boy."

"Stop, please, you two are making a scene!" The lone girl turned around worriedly, her one good eye flashing in anxiety, a patch covering the other. She wore her hair short and pinned it up, similar to her brother, who was standing in front of the theater, looking up at the sign with a smirk.

"Hana Theater. It looks like we made it to the right place, chums."

"Of course. I searched the place up."

"Shut up, Chikusa! Stop _whining_!"

"You two! Please!"

"Chrome." The girl's brother held his hand up with a brief smile. His eyes were different colors, but they both portrayed anticipation all the same. "It's okay. It's normal for them to be excited.

"They need the energy to carry out what we got in store for this place."

--

Note: (1) Haiku from Etsujin. I felt like writing another multi-shot Hitman fic. Inspired by the short story Onnagata by Yukio Mishima. And I just felt like dressing up Tsuna and Basil in lovely kimonos. And emasculated them even further. Please tell me if the mafia issue is unclear and I will gladly explain it to you and correct it for later readers. I wasn't planning on using an OC, since I hate them, but rest assured she is not going to be involved with any characters and is only present to move the story along. I based Chiharu's character off myself. Obviously she is a BL fan, since she lets Hibari touch Tsuna. Hopefully this will not be a Claddagh spinoff, but that was a popular fic…so review for your thoughts! I'll be having a review count this time. I don't want to waste my time writing another long fic if no one likes it. Ten positive reviews will ensure chapter two's existence. So you know what to do.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: If Katekyo Hitman Reborn were mine, I wouldn't need to write fanfics. If any of these songs were mine, I wouldn't be writing fanfics.**

Background music: --

**Minimal fluff 09!**

--

Stop! In the name of Kabuki!

"Attention everyone, please! Let me introduce a new member to our backstage crew!"

The lady whom Tsuna recognized as the secretary that had shown them the ropes on the first day was clapping her hands at the door, looking authoritative as always. It was rehearsal time; the theater had already been prepping for a mini release when the two arrived, a tribute to springtime, while all the while getting ready for the big alliance unveiling, as Reborn was so keen to call it. Everyone turned to her, whom neither Tsuna nor Basil had bothered to learn her name, and she cleared her throat.

"Ahem. Thank you. All, this is Goro. He will be working with the backstage crew. He's a little late, but we need all the backstage help we can get. I hope you will all give him a warm welcome."

Goro's eyes searched the stage until he found Tsuna and a small smile crossed his face. The rest of the actors had called out welcomes but the two Vongola spies had stayed silent. "It will be a _blast_ to work with all of you," he said calmly.

_If he doesn't blow the place up first,_ Tsuna thought to himself. But at least Gokudera was here. The more they had on their side, the better. And perhaps it was better to have Gokudera handing him his props backstage; a few of the hands had already given him strange looks and Basil had complained of groping and harassment. Kabuki was a dangerous water to tread on.

Chiharu, who was sitting with the director, seemed disinterested, but then again, they all had to stay apathetic toward each other as not to give anything away. Or could it be that she had held a grudge against him for dismissing her works of art? Tsuna decided not to dwell on this as Gokudera got situated backstage.

"Start from scene three, please. Tsunami-san, please don't linger about."

The director, Takayama, was a grumpy man who seemed to hate everyone who 1) didn't know their lines the day after the script was handed out 2)didn't know what they were doing after he explained it once and 3) was Tsuna. Chiharu had tried to minimize the damage, but even the Vongola boss couldn't push himself to sound girly if his voice was changing. Takayama seemed to blame him when his voice grew awfully pitchy. It wasn't like he wanted to squeak up the place. Basil was a natural onstage though, even if he grew painfully quiet.

"Tenth, I got your back!" Tsuna nearly rolled his eyes as he disappeared backstage. Gokudera was going to give them all away if he wasn't careful. He shouldn't worry though; the silver-haired bomber had been in the mafia since he was in diapers, so a little enthusiasm could slide.

"You got your eye on Tsunami-chan!" Tsuna heard a backstage hand say to Gokudera. "You've got good eyes."

"Eh? You sure about that?" Gokudera was advancing on the unsuspecting crew member and Tsuna wondered if he ought to say anything. Takayama hated him as he was, and if he stopped rehearsal for a backstage fight, it would be hatred something awful…Basil was also trying to do damage control but before either of them could step up, the crew manager appeared from the shadows.

"Is everything alright?" Gokudera glanced at the man. A lollypop stick stuck out of his mouth and he had calluses on his hands. He thought his hair was strange with its color, but this man took strange to another level with this weird almost artificial curl in his hair. "It's fine," he said levelly, as the stagehand he was menacing scampered away.

"You look new. I'm Spanner. I'm the crew head part-time. Nice to meet you." He held out his hand as Gokudera extended his slowly.

"What do you do normally?"

"I'm an auto mechanic. But the theater needed my help." Gokudera nearly gripped the man's hand harder. More like the mafia probably paid him off. Faking a friendly smile, Gokudera released Spanner's hand and shoved his hands in his pockets. "It's nice to meet you too, Spanner. I'm Goro."

Spanner stared at him for a moment, as if reading his soul, before shrugging. "Work hard," he said vaguely as he went off to adjust the lighting. For a moment, the three were left alone and Gokudera turned to Tsuna.

"Tenth, Tenth, are you okay? You're feeling well?"

"Yes, thanks. You should worry about Basil-kun too, though."

"Oh, well…Basil looks like he's doing fine." To this, Basil gave him a sarcastic cold look. "But Reborn's got everything under control. We're on this theater like bees to honey."

"What about Hibari-san?"

"You don't need that violent bird."

"Well…" Even if Gokudera didn't want to hear it, it was true. Gokudera heard the skepticism in Tsuna's voice and sighed. "He's part of the plan, relax."

"Tsunami-chan?" Tsuna started as he heard Chiharu call his name from the stage. "Your cue was called five minutes ago. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, sorry!" Dashing out, Gokudera watched him before turning to Basil. "Are you two going to be alright?"

Basil gave him an apologetic look. "Hopefully."

--

On opening night, Takayama announced that Tsuna, who had been given the lead part as Princess Hinagiku, had been reassigned to Maid Number Seven, who only had one line ("The petals of the sakura delight me so."), and Basil was to play the lead. Tsuna wondered if he should feel disappointed; instead he felt relieved – yes, this was a minor play, but he didn't want people to regard him as a disaster on stage. If he was going to take part of Operation Kabuki, he may as well do it right, right? Gokudera had been more than willing to blow Takayama to the moon but luckily, he was swamped with loads of backstage work to do the night before.

Basil had been willing to refuse the role, despite the fact that he had worked with Tsuna enough to know every line, but luckily Tsuna was able to talk him out of that as well.

And anyway, Tsuna was glad to get out that nasty costume. It was more silk and kimono and red that he had ever liked to wear at one time. Sure, he painted a pretty picture, but he could hardly move. Could he _be_ wearing any more clothes? Basil looked stunning with them (as expected) and Chiharu bustled with them backstage.

"Ah, you look so beautiful, Bella-chan…"

As she was pinning the fabric right (Tsuna was just a tad taller than Basil), she murmured information to the two as she worked. "Reborn's got the place covered, but he says nothing major should happen. Just an unveiling of the two new members. Hibari's supposed to start as a regular at this play. He's supposed to be a fan for one of you two, but it hasn't been decided yet."

"Hibari-san, a Kabuki fan?" It was too much to imagine the bloody prefect as one who reveled in the arts.

"He looks quite fetching in a suit. He looks perfect for the job," Chiharu simpered, biting some pins in her mouth. "You two should be fabulous tonight. It's a full house."

"That's a lot of people."

"Damn right it is. This place fits a lot. You two better find more information about the alliance because there's going to be a bloodbath if you don't save the viewers first." Tsuna shuddered at the thought.

"Break a leg!" Chiharu finished with Basil's kimono and patted the two on the back. "I'll be sitting in the front so I'll word your lines to you if you miss. Gokudera's got everything backstage so he'll dim the lights if anything screws up. Don't worry about a _thing_." Giving them a rather plastic smile, the two could see she was fraught on nerves as well. It was a routine play, though, so the mafia shouldn't be involved.

Even so…it was a debut.

"Good luck, Basil…ah, Bella-san!"

At last, the crowd lowered down to a mere murmur and the curtain was drawn. Switching on the soundboard and the lights, Gokudera sat in the sound booth and watched the theater. Takeyama wasn't supposed to show up to such a minor teaser, but no one could be sure. There were oddly a lot of black suited men lingering about. Turning on the spotlight, the light shone on a red kimono in the middle of the stage, as Basil sat looking rather small amidst flower petals.

Aware that he was half-trembling under the layers of clothing (he was a mafia member, not an actor! At times like this, Basil wondered why on earth he had allowed Reborn to set him up in such a situation), Basil took a deep breath and spoke. "On days like this, the air is clear…"

Faces were swimming in mass amounts in front of him and Basil realized he was getting dizzy from the lights already. Better finish his monologue quick. "…the snow has melted and dew abounds…" Who wrote this cheesy script? Ah, he had spotted Hibari sitting up close and he swore it was Bianchi who had shifted in her seat. Feeling a bit settled, he opened his mouth to continue when he forgot a rule that Chiharu had practically spelled out the first day of training.

"Do not ever meet eyes with someone in the crowd because it will definitely screw you over."

The pair of eyes in question weren't even matching; one was a dark blue and the other was a deep auburn. They went well with a sly smile that sent shivers down his spine; it was as if this person could read his mind. The young man in question was dressed rather sharp, like Hibari, in a suit and he was tapping his chin with a finger waiting for the next line. Basil knew he was the only one on stage, so there would be no one else to look at, but it was as if the stranger had no other eyes for him…

There was a hiss and Basil came out of the trance he had seemingly been under. Chiharu had covered this up as a soft sneeze ("Oh, bless me.") and Basil quickly stumbled over the rest of the monologue. As the lights dimmed and the choir came out to do their little dance piece, he snuck a peek back toward the man, but said man had looked away to whisper something in the ear of a young woman sitting next to him in a black dress and almost identical facial features. Behind the two was a pair who looked rather sketchy for kabuki attendees, with messy hair on one and glasses that glinted in the light on the other.

"Basil, you choked!" Tsuna whispered when the Italian stumbled backstage. "What happened?"

"Ah, nothing. Please don't worry about it." He glanced back on stage again, where if he tilted his head right, he could see the strange man with the different eye color…it seemed as if the stranger could still see him even behind the curtain and…he _smiled_…

"Basil-kun, are you alright?"

Basil opened his mouth to reply but no words came out.

--

"Oh, onii-chan, I have never actually seen a kabuki play before!"

"Oh, Kyoko-chan, you have missed a lot! It's fancy to the extreme!"

"…Oh, but onii-chan, neither have you…"

Yamamoto nearly face-palmed himself. Ryohei had convinced Kyoko and him to watch the spring opener as a 'undercover sting operation', but Yamamoto was pretty sure it was just because the case wasn't supposed to start until two days later and Ryohei was getting ants in his pants. No other officer had been invited but by the way things were going (Ryohei staring up at the stage in awe and Kyoko looking starry-eyed), this case was going belly-up once again. Sighing and rumpling his ironed suit, Yamamoto stood up and started toward the aisle.

"Ah, Yamamoto-kun, where are you going?"

"Bathroom." If they were going to do an undercover sting operation, the mafia members were not just going to dance on stage and sing, "I'm a mafia member, police please arrest me!" This was a waste of time. If they really wanted to get something done, they should have gone backstage immediately to watch what happened there…the mafia was sure to operate in the shadows. He was one, but sometimes police officers could be unbearably dim.

Sliding through the shadows, Yamamoto reached the door to the stage and entered rather silently. He hadn't gotten a few steps into the darkened area when he heard a voice hiss out at him. "Who are you and what are you doing back here?" Yamamoto blinked and it turned out he hadn't entered the stage door after all. The sound booth was empty except for a young man with flashy, silver hair. It was a dance scene and said man had been nodding off when the door opened.

"Police," Yamamoto said shortly, flashing his badge.

"I don't give a shit, you're not authorized back here. What are the coppers doing in a theater anyway? You got a search warrant?"

Jumpy little shit, Yamamoto thought, although they were probably around the same age. He was going to watch this guy. It wouldn't hurt to announce his intentions; get the mafia a little nervous. "We've heard that some mafia dealings are going on in this theater. You wouldn't happen to know about it, would you?"

"What are you trying to imply?" If this guy was guilty, he sure was cool about it. Yamamoto took a step forward.

"I'm implying that _your people_ should step down from whatever you're planning."

Gokudera opened his mouth to retort but held his tongue. This was a cop he was talking to; he had to choose his words carefully. "I'm just a stage help. I don't know what you're talking about."

"Then you wouldn't mind me poking around backstage, right? Forbidding me to do so would be an obstruction to justice." Smiling widely, Yamamoto cocked his head. "Since you're not in the mafia, it shouldn't be a problem, eh?"

This guy was just so…! Nearly knocking over the chair, Gokudera stood up and grabbed a fistful of the calm, collected officer's collar. "You would be _smart_ not to poke your nose where it's not needed, cop. Everything's under control here."

"It doesn't seem like it," Yamamoto countered and Gokudera pushed him, causing the former to stumble on some cables.

"Get out of the sound booth or I'll call security."

"I'm leaving, I'm leaving. I'm a cop, anyway." Turning to go, Yamamoto turned with a smirk. "My name's Yamamoto, by the way. You'll probably be seeing a lot more of me a lot often." Before Gokudera could form a curse, the young man disappeared back into the darkness, closing the door behind him.

Effing…! Reborn would have to be told. This probably wouldn't end the operation, but now the cops were snooping about, things were going to get a bit more edgier than they expected. But, Gokudera thought with a grin, he liked challenges and there was no way in hell that Yama-guy was going to be putting them behind bars. They were just going to have to see who was smarter, and it was definitely going to be him.

--

The reception was warm and friendly as the patrons were unaware of the discussions occurring around them. Gokudera had joined the rest of the crew to clean up but slipped off into the reception room to find Reborn. Said infant was nestled in the arms of his big sister, who was thankfully wearing a masquerade mask.

"Bianchi…wrong theater."

"Ah, sorry, Gokudera. I'll take it off." The silver-haired woman chuckled as her fingers fluttered on the mask and Gokudera blanched. "I'm kidding. What's wrong? You look worried." Reborn turned as well.

"Ah, you know. Back stage problems." He glanced around and saw a few stage hands had slinked to enjoy the punch and attractive ladies in the reception room. "Some cues are a bit off and the polizia is just getting wrapped up in all the loose wires."

At the mention of the word, both Bianchi and Reborn stiffened. "That sounds like trouble," Reborn mused. "You'd better look into it."

"I will."

"Ah, Bella-chan, Tsunami-chan, you two were great!" Fuuta had come with an armful of flowers to greet the two. "You two were wonderful! I knew you could do it!"

"Ah, Fuuta-kun…you shouldn't act so friendly," Chiharu said carefully, glancing around. "So many people could overhear you…"

"Oh! Right." Acting shy, he handed each onnagatas a bouquet. "You two stole the stage tonight."

"Thank you, Fuuta-kun."

"Tsunami-san, is it?" At the sound of Tsuna's stage name, the four turned. Hibari was striding over to them, looking a bit strange in a suit and (was that a…) a smile. Just from walking through the crowds, the stoic prefect was already earning interested looks from some of the young female patrons, who were whispering to each other up a storm. Tsuna blinked as Hibari bowed before him. He never thought he'd see the day when _Hibari-san_ would actually bow to him. He felt a shot of terror as he knew this would probably mean that he'd have the stuffing beat out of him by the time this operation was over.

"Ah, yes…and you are?"

"You can call me Hibari."

_So bold_, Chiharu thought, almost cringing. Only Hibari would have the guts to use his actual name in such a situation. Quickly ushering Basil and Fuuta away, she gave the two a glance and winked at Tsuna.

"Oh, um, yes, hello Hibari-san," Tsuna said, fumbling over his words. Was this what Chiharu meant when she said Hibari was going to be a regular? What did that even mean? He was trying to seek her out in the crowd to give her a 'help me!' look when he felt Hibari take his hand. Turning back around with surprise, Tsuna was just in time to see Hibari lower himself on one knee and kiss his hand.

Alright, so he wasn't going to be alive at the end of the operation.

"You were lovely tonight, Tsunami-san," Hibari murmured, although Tsuna thought he saw him twitch. Ah, that's right, Hibari hated crowds. And they were attracting a lot of people. "Ah, um…thank you so much." Pausing and wondering about the invitation, Tsuna decided to wing it. "Um…I'd like to get some air. Would you like to come with me?"

"That's fine with me."

The two made their way through the crowd (although Hibari dropped his hand the moment their little act was over) and onto a deserted balcony of the theater. In the cool, evening air, Tsuna stretched his arms up. Hibari's expressionless face had come back and Tsuna wasn't surprised in the least.

"Sorry you had to do that," Tsuna said quickly. Maybe if he apologized now, he'd get more slack at the end. Hibari sighed and loosened his tie as he leaned on the balcony ledge. "That baby said it was necessary."

"I didn't know you'd actually want to do it. I mean, you don't like crowds or anything and the theater is basically a lot of people in one area."

"You look nice," Hibari said suddenly, changing the subject. Tsuna frowned at this interruption before feeling his face heat up. He wasn't _that_ modest that he would feel embarrassed by such a comment, but this was Hibari-san they were talking about and he just said he looked _nice_? Flustered, Tsuna looked down at the street, where some of the patrons were starting to drive away. "Um…thanks…"

The sky darkened and the two remained silent, although Hibari glanced at the trees near the balcony once in a while. A yellow ball of feathers poked out once in a while and it had been Hibird who had hinted that someone had been listening to their conversation. Now that neither were talking, Hibari indeed heard footsteps pacing the roof. So the Hatsuhana family was that strict when it came to security…they hadn't given anything away but knowing dame Tsuna, the kid probably would have started reciting the plan.

"Tsunami-san, it's getting a bit chilly. Would you like to step back inside?"

"Ah? Um, alright."

--

"Where's Tsuna going?" Basil asked when he saw Tsuna and Hibari parting the crowds.

"Tsunami, you mean," Chiharu reminded him, pouring Fuuta and herself a cup of punch. "I bet they're just getting some air. No big problem. You were wonderful, though. You should be a full-time actress."

"I'm a boy, Misaki-san."

"Ah, this would be Bella-san, am I correct?"

Hearing the familiar name, Basil looked up and nearly stepped back to see the staring stranger from the crowd. There was a friendly smile on the young man's face, but the eyes seemed to eat him up in one gulp…dangerous. He was trailed by the woman in black and the two sidekicks. Fuuta fell silent behind Chiharu, who was analyzing each of the members of this group.

"Oh, yes, I am."

"Wonderful. You were stunning tonight." The man smiled briefly. "I don't visit this theater very often, but I decided to come with my sister and my friends tonight. I'm glad I did." Basil wondered if it was perhaps a trick of the light but the different colored eyes seemed to be staring past the thin yukata he was wearing.

"And you would be…?" prompted Chiharu.

"Oh, excuse my poor manners," the man said, although he didn't sound sorry at all. "My name is Rokudo Mukuro. This is my sister, Nagi." The girl in black bowed slightly. "She has a lazy eye so she has to wear the patch." Even with the eye patch, Nagi was still quite pretty and was effortlessly turning some heads. "These two are my friends; Chikusa can be a bit _strung_ up and Ken can be a bit _rabid_ at times, but they're still good people." Finished with the short introduction, Mukuro cocked his head. "Have you heard of regulars, Bella-san? The leaflet said you were also new to this theater."

"I know a bit."

"Let me explain then. Regulars are the patrons that come to see a specific actor or actress. Did you know," Mukuro said, inserting an odd fact, "that back in the day, kabuki actresses were also prostitutes? They banned female actresses but then the actors were setting up a little harem of their own as well…" Chuckling lightly, Basil swore the auburn eye seemed to glint in his direction. "Regulars appeared even then."

Basil glanced back to see Chiharu's reaction, but the manager had blended in with the crowd when he hadn't noticed.

"I'm not that sort of person," Basil replied after it was apparent that Mukuro had been waiting for a reaction. "I'm sorry to disappoint you."

"That wasn't what I was implying at all!" Mukuro laughed at this and glanced at his posse. Nagi merely smiled but Ken burst out in hyena-like cackles. "But you certainly are pretty enough." He smiled dangerously endearingly as he reached a hand out to cup Basil's face, but the young Italian slapped his hand away.

"I've faced enough of that from the stage hands, thank you." Although it had stopped since Gokudera had arrived, but Mukuro didn't have to know that.

"Is that so…?" The different colored eyes glinted again as he glanced at the fore mentioned stage hands being discovered by Spanner. "I may have a talk with some of them, then."

"Don't bother." Feeling himself slipping away from the onnagatas personality that Chiharu had made him take up, he graced his face with a smile. "Thank you for worrying, though…Mukuro, was it?"

"That's right." Mukuro turned back to Basil with an equally shadowy smile. "Remember it." With a wave of his hand, he walked away, followed by the three who had remained silent behind him the whole time. Basil watched them go. Mukuro had been distracting enough in the audience but he was just…different. The whole theater smelled of a conspiracy; Gokudera was looking edgy and men in black were patrolling the place.

"The world is but a stage and we are all merely actors," Chiharu recited behind him. When he turned, she smiled sheepishly. "Or so, paraphrasing Shakespeare. Who was that guy? Mukudo?"

"Mukuro." Basil turned back at the retreating figures. "He says he wants to be my regular. Isn't that something?"

"Definitely," Chiharu said, a smile tugging at her face. "Especially when you're blushing like that."

"Am I?" The adrenaline rush hadn't faded from the stage, causing him to feel a bit numb. "I didn't know that."

"Come on, Misaki-san, he's not red at all!"

"Shush, Fuuta-kun, I was just trying to test him!" Clapping him on the back, Chiharu smiled. "Well, it means we're acting convincible enough. Reborn will be pleased. Loosen up and have some fun! I'm sure you'll have a lot more regulars. I know! I'll make it into a game between you and Tsuna. Hey, Fuuta, you think Bianchi would bet on this too?"

"What?"

Meanwhile, as Takayama drank in the compliments for a good show with his signature crankiness, a man in black stepped up to him and murmured something in his ear. His next expression caused most of the patrons to scatter as a scheming expression graced his face.

"Is that so…the police and unknown gang? This is going to be one _hell_ of an opening night!"

to be continued…

--

Note: Yes, I know Basil doesn't have this cute little accent. I forgot to add it when I was writing and it's a lot easier to write him without using all those thees and thous and besides, Basil talks a decent amount in my fic, unlike the canon. Insert sad face. I decided to update because I have eleven alerts and that's pretty much like ten reviews, I think. Hopefully these small fluff happenings will encourage more readers. Like Claddagh. What happened there?! Anyway, review, please. Please.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: If Katekyo Hitman Reborn were mine, I wouldn't need to write fanfics. If any of these songs were mine, I wouldn't be writing fanfics.**

Background music: --

**Minimal fluff 09!**

--

Stop! In the name of Kabuki! 3 

Some of the actors at the troop were at the theater so much of the day that they practically lived there and had their mail delivered at the Hana Theater. During one of the breaks, a mailman would come and drop off all the letters and fliers for the veterans while the rest would enjoy a well deserved breather. Tsuna had gone off to find the bathroom when Basil was tapped by the mailman.

"Excuse me, are you Bella-chan?"

"Ah, yes." Basil looked up at the mailman and his smile fell a bit. There was a large gash across the young man's face and a mass of blonde hair was sticking out from the gray cap resting on his head. The regular mailman was an old fogey who had arthritis and walked slowly around distributing the mail. The face finally registered and Basil cocked his head. "You were with Mukuro, weren't you?"

The man cackled. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm a newbie so you shouldn't have seen me before. Anyway, here's something for you." Flipping over a small paper card on his fingers, which had the slightest of claws, the mailman grinned. "It seems like a rendezvous so I suggest you keep it." Basil gingerly took the card from the boy's hand, as if it were an explosive. Reading it briefly, it was a time and a place and the absence of date suggested that the day was today. Looking up to inquire more from the messenger, Basil was surprised to see that the mailman had vanished. Asking around, it seemed that no one had seen the boy go.

Glancing at the card again, Basil noted that the time was only an hour away and he was sure Takayama wasn't going to be too keen with him leaving. He was still pondering this when Chiharu appeared behind him soundlessly, jolting him with her first words.

"Ooh…it's a _date_ isn't it, Bella-chan? With that mysterious tall, dark stranger?"

"I don't know. There no name." Basil flitted the card around aimlessly.

"Normally I would tell you not to meet nameless strangers, but I suppose these are special circumstances." Chiharu put her hand on Basil's shoulder and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "I have a hard time believing that someone like Mukuro would approach a newbie like you like that. Not to mention he has a strange lot following him around. I would check him out. He might be spies from Volgadro." Clapping his shoulder, Chiharu grinned as she stepped away. "I mentioned something like this to the baby. He's so cute." Smiling wider, Basil was to take that Reborn had told them to be wary. "So I'll cover for you and you investigate this date, eh?"

Basil stared at Chiharu before nodding slowly. Chiharu grinned and gave him a little shove in the direction of the door and turned on Takayama, suddenly bawling. "Takayama-san! Something has come up! You know that bug going around? The one traveling on fleas? Well, I think I just saw…something…_black and tiny_!"

The crew, fearing for their careers over a petty illness, started an uproar. Basil had expected Chiharu to do something drastic, but nothing to this extent. The troupe's members were so worried about catching a disease before opening night that they kept sanitizing lotion on their person at all times. Now with the mess of clothes and limbs, Basil snuck out, sneaking past the receptionist on the phone.

--

Tsuna had come back from the bathroom to a room full of panic and chaos. Surely the whole crew couldn't have gotten into a ruckus just because he was attending to nature? Panicked that perhaps he was the cause, he started to open his mouth to apologize to Takayama, who was storming toward him with a dark expression. However, Takayama breezed past him as, "I'm sor…" ghosted from his mouth.

Beside himself with fear that the director was now giving him the silent treatment, not to mention walking away from practice in a huff, Tsuna followed behind soundlessly, his cloth slippers keeping his presence hidden on the wooden floors. Takayama seemed really pissed and Tsuna wondered if he should even open his mouth.

Takayama seemed unaware that anyone had followed him because he was storming to his office. Shutting himself behind a black marked door, forbidden for anyone at Tsuna's level, Takayama reached for the phone, which was flashing with a message light. Tsuna stood outside, his fist raised over the wooden door, ready to knock.

"Need to get an exterminator…" Tsuna heard Takayama's muffled voice. At once, Tsuna looked down at his feet, as if a roach was heading for him at that very second. That brief moment of pause before knocking allowed the young Vongola to hear the first snippets of the conversation of Takayama to someone on the phone.

"Hello…? Volgadro _capo_, please."

Tsuna knew his hearing was good enough to hear through the wooden door and his hand froze, a mere two centimeters away from the door. The wood was too thick to hear every word of the conversation but maybe he could salvage some parts…? Reaching into his kimono to fish out the tape recorder that Reborn had given him for such moments, Tsuna panicked as more words got away.

"Yes…going as plan…Takeyama…preparations going underway…" Tsuna finally felt the sleek recorder through the folds of his kimono and was able to hit record just as the words, "meeting with Jones, Asakura…" drifted through the door and blurred out into incomprehensive mumbles.

For the gods of the mafia, he was actually doing his job…!

Tsuna was just fidgeting with the buttons when he heard the phone receiver slam and a harsh cry come from the stage area. Three guesses would mean that something had happened and Takayama was going to come out at any minute and…

At the last minute, Tsuna dove for a hallway that was only a few steps away, but having the panic and adrenaline rushing through his head, he performed a ninja-like jump and slid down said hallway, cushioned only by the vast amounts of kimono he was dressed in. He only made a soft thumping noise, which was drowned out by Takayama's loud opening of the door. There was silence, in which Takayama broke it by mumbling, "Could have sworn I heard something…" before walking away.

Tsuna waited for a few more seconds before letting out the breath he had been holding. Never had the mafia really been _that _exciting and espionage-like. It was nothing like the movies. At least, the main character wouldn't look like a girl while doing so. Checking to see that the tape recorder had not broken, Tsuna tucked it back into the folds of his kimono, letting out another breath.

"Tsunami!! Get your kimonoed ass out here!"

Blanching, Tsuna was pretty sure that even though he hadn't been caught right then and there, he was ready to face another tongue lashing, at which not even Chiharu would be able to help him now.

--

"Ooh!! Kyoko-chan can you believe it?! It's our first day in the theater case!! Exciting to the extreme!"

"Nii-chan, what is our first course of action?" Kyoko sat at the ready with a notepad on her hand, sitting straight and looking expectantly at her brother. The door to the office had been closed, as it was a superiors meeting but Yamamoto was pretty sure the underlings were listening at the cracks. The air was buzzing with excitement and although he was a bit more mellow about it, the raven-haired cop couldn't help but feel anxious as well. He hid it well as he shifted on the couch.

"Hmm…first of all…" Ryohei stroked his chin. "Well, our scouting at the theater didn't seem to raise any threats…everything was peaceful…"

"May I interrupt?" Yamamoto raised a hand slightly before putting it down as Ryohei and Kyoko glanced at him. "I did some undercover snooping around and…"

"Yamamoto! Excellent!"

"Nii-chan's right, Yamamoto-kun. We should have gone with you."

"Anyway, I managed to infiltrate one of the backrooms." Maybe infiltrate wasn't the perfect word; more like accidentally barging in, but he sounded a lot cooler if he said infiltrate. "There was…a suspicious person lurking about."

"Ah! Sketchy to the extreme!"

"Perfect!" Yamamoto was not sure why the two found it absolutely necessary to add exclamation marks to every sentence, but it was building the anticipation. "Alright, Yamamoto-kun, I'll take notes. Describe this sketchy person!"

"Well…" Yamamoto was sure that if he gave a detailed description, including the fire that burned savagely in those bright eyes, he was pretty certain that the silver haired person in question would be tailed by more people than himself. There was something dangerous about the punk that had been so eager to get rid of him that he couldn't help but feel a need to research it alone. "It was a bit too dark to really tell…" And anyway, should it get serious, it really wouldn't matter if he told them now or later. "But he was definitely trying to hide something. I told him I was the police and flashed my badge and he almost blew up in front of me."

"You mean…he had bombs?"

"Um, no. Not literally." Kyoko nodded as she scribbled her notes across the legal pad. Although with that temper, Yamamoto wouldn't be surprised… "I think I'll be in charge of investigating that person though. I'll know him when I see him."

"Great! Perfect!" Ryohei pumped his fist up. "We've done a good start! What time is it now, Kyoko-chan?"

"Ah!" Kyoko glanced away at her watch. "It's eleven-fifteen, nii-san."

"Perfect! Time for lunch!"

Yamamoto followed the two out of the office (almost running over the mob of cops who were trying to flee from the door), but his thoughts weren't with them. This was a waste of time. No wonder this district got so many bad reviews. If they really wanted some results, they would have to work for them. "Um, guys? I think I'll go get lunch on my own."

"You sure? Kyoko's making her home-style rice balls. They're delicious to the extreme."

"I'll pass." Yamamoto considered. "No, save some for me. I'll be back before you know it." As long as he was back before five, he was pretty sure nothing was being accomplished anyway. Grabbing his jacket, Yamamoto left the station and headed for the theater.

--

Basil was in a great rush, as he didn't know how long Chiharu could stall for time. Surely she didn't have a box of fleas in her back pocket for times like this…? Well, at least he hoped that shape in her pocket wasn't anything dangerous…sidestepping a young police officer, Basil made his way to the café where the rendezvous was sited to happen.

As he slowed to a walk when he spotted the tables and chairs on the sidewalk, Basil was suddenly aware by the reflection of the store windows that he was still wearing a kimono and looked rather old-fashioned in the open. Oh, why didn't he change before he went out? Chiharu forbade the both of them to wear a change of clothing underneath their stage costumes in practice, as she didn't find them necessary and only permit them to wear clothing ready for battle only afterwards. He hadn't had enough time to slip into more comfortable clothing and besides, at this rate, it was too late.

Basil was pretty sure Mukuro had spotted him long before he saw the mysterious young man, for when he finally saw the gang at the table, Mukuro had been watching him with a cryptic smile. Collecting his wits, Basil walked into the café area and maneuvered himself past the various patrons, who were giving him rather strange looks. Finally coming to a stop in front of the table, Basil turned to Ken, who was grinning at him.

"So it was you."

Ken chuckled, resting his chin on his palm. "I never said it wasn't, _Bella-chan_."

"You came," Mukuro said, almost purred. Standing, he reached for Basil's hand but the onnagata pulled away. Accepting the rejection with grace, Mukuro smiled. "I would like to talk with you at a more private table. Care to join me?"

"I don't see how I have a say in this," Basil said shortly and followed Mukuro over to a table where they would not be overheard. At the instant where the two were out of earshot, Ken barked out a rather canine laughter, which earned the table horrified glances.

"Ken, please control yourself," Nagi begged. "You're causing a scene."

"Oh please! As if Mukuro-sama's not causing a scene of his own, dragging out that boy here!" Ken was shaking with suppressed laughter. "If he wasn't scheming something awful, I wouldn't have agreed to this."

"Mukuro-sama knows what he's doing," Chikusa said, stirring sugar into his black coffee.

"Bella-san's rather pretty, isn't he?" Nagi mused aloud, turning at the table where her brother and Basil were sitting. "I wonder what his real name is?"

"Does it matter?" Chikusa stopped more sugar from flowing into his cup. "I don't know why Mukuro-sama picked that one to stalk. The other one, that mousy one, was new too and we could have used him to get in too."

"Well, if Mukuro wants to do something, he wants to have fun doing so." Ken grinned as he picked up a scone and bit violently into it. "And besides, did you see that creepy guy coming on to him anyway? I don't think Mukuro would have had a chance."

"Shh," Nagi reprehended. "You can't go spilling our plan out in the open."

"Relax, you stupid idiot, we haven't said anything to incriminate us."

"That itself is enough to make people suspicious." Nagi bit gingerly into the strawberry from her parfait. "Let's try and act normal, can't we?"

Ken grinned, showing a mouth full of sharp teeth. "If only we were, eh, Nagi?"

Basil glanced at the table Mukuro had left behind. He was been pretty sure it was Ken who had been masquerading as the mail carrier. He hadn't seen Chikusa or Nagi around, but just one member of the gang in the theater during practice hours was enough to alert Chiharu. Could Mukuro really be a Volgadro member? If so, he had to be careful where he tred.

"Bella-chan?" Basil turned and Mukuro took the opportunity of Basil's lowered guard to reach over and grasp both his hands. "Aren't you curious to know why I called you out here?"

It was extremely awkward to be holding another male's hands, especially in public, even _if_ one of them looked more of a girl. "I hope you remember," Basil said as he tried to squirm his hands from Mukuro's grip, "that I'm an onnagata, so I'm not a girl in any way."

"I didn't forget." On the contrary, Mukuro's hold on his hands seemed to tighten and Basil gave up. It was luck though, that he had foreseen something as constricting as this and had started the recording from the pockets of his kimono. He didn't think he would actually have to use that contraption but it was a lot better than trying to remember things off the top of your head, along with the fact that the human mind is faulty. Basil was sensing the vibes Mukuro was giving him and he cleared his throat.

"Why did you have Ken come to the theater?"

"Oh, Ken? He got a job," Mukuro said rather offhandedly. Too offhandedly, in fact. Basil made a mental note to check in on the previous mailman. "We're staying here for some time so we decided to go make some money while we were at it. It's a small world, I guess."

"So why did you want to meet me here today?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Mukuro leaned in, pulling Basil closer. "You have a pretty good idea on the theater, right? The way you float around in it so nicely…"

_Oh cut the crap_. Basil smiled charmingly. If Mukuro wanted to play this game, he'd play too. "Yes?" He'd charm this prat into telling him what exactly he was planning.

"So you would know how to get around it and such, hmm?"

"I guess so…" They were looking like quite the loving couple, but Mukuro had a mission and Basil had been on the stage. Both not willing to be outdone, they were cutting quite the scene.

"Would you be able to provide me with some blueprints of the place?"

Basil (and he really regretted having to resort to this, as even Reborn said he sounded rather girly when he did so) giggled, and forcefully pulled his hands from Mukuro's grasp and folded them under his chin. "And why would you need those, Mukuro-kun?"

Mukuro smirked, leaning back. Maybe the other boy's name was Tsunami, but this boy was also turning out to be one heck of a storm himself. "I…no, we have plans for that place. _Big _plans, you could say."

Was it wise to be spilling out so much to a mere actor, Basil wondered? It didn't matter, as long as he got the job done. "Such as?"

"Well…don't tell anyone I said so, but…" Mukuro leaned forward. "My crew and I are renovators and we're in town just to upgrade the theater before the big production in a few weeks. You know, that one…The Alliance or whatever. Thing is, the director's refusing…something about privacy, you know."

That would be a wise thing to do…if you were a mafia boss in disguise.

"Anyway, we couldn't get the blueprints from them but they expect us to draw up a plot for them? It's not happening." Mukuro leaned back with a smile. "So could we commission you to get the charts for us? I'll make it worth your time."

If he hadn't been raised in a world full of people who used you, Basil would have almost been insulted. Remembering to stay in character, he painted a hurt look on his face. "So all this time you weren't interested in me, but the _theater_?" It worked wonders, as Mukuro suddenly scooted forward.

"Oh, no, Bella-chan, that's not the whole story! Sure, I wanted those blueprints, but I could have asked anyone, couldn't I? No, I approached you because I thought you would be the perfect one for the job…"

"So you're using me anyway." Basil felt his voice suddenly creeping into a more masculine tone and coughed to cover it up as Mukuro raised his eyebrows. "I don't know if I should trust you."

"Well…I guess I can't convince you otherwise…" Mukuro looked at him. "But after all, you're only a temporary face there anyway, so why would you possibly feel any affiliation to that theater anyway?"

As Mukuro talked on, Basil weighed the odds. If he gave Mukuro the plans, then the alliance could possibly be furthered and he would have helped him. If he didn't, he could be losing an important lead. Well, he figured, he didn't have the plans with him anyway so he could probably say anything and discuss it with Reborn later. "I guess so," Basil said slowly, intertwining his fingers together thoughtfully.

"That's the spirit, Bella-chan." Mukuro grinned before a more serious face appeared. "But honestly, Bella-chan, I really…"

"You don't have to say it." Basil stood up, ready to leave. "This was more of a business meeting so there's no need for any romanticism. I'll see what I can do about what you want, but I'm not making any guarantees." He turned and was ready to bid the place effing adieu when Mukuro called him back. "Hold on, Bella-chan. You keep reminding me, so I'd like to know…what's your real name? Besides Bella."

Basil turned slightly. "You know, so I can call you that when we don't want the attention."

There was no issue of saying his real name; after all, he was still an underling in the Vongola family and the only big names that really stood out in the mafia world was Tsuna's and the Guardian's. Actually, he wasn't even thinking about this, as giving his name was almost as natural as breathing. "My name's Basil."

"Basil…" Mukuro said aloud, as if seeing how it felt on the mouth. "I like it…see you later."

--

He had given restraining orders on stalkers before, but he had never actually been one.

Yamamoto wondered how sneaky he looked with big sunglasses and hiding behind his collar on a side street next to the theater. Would it do to march in there and demand to see the silver haired suspect? Surely he would draw attention to himself and if the theater really was crawling with mafia members like the report said, it would be foolish to bring the whole case down. And anyway, he didn't even know the guy's name. Noting that he probably should find it out first hand, he watched the backdoor. Mafia members wouldn't just come and go as they pleased through the front door. It was only obvious. He had watched the movies.

Otherwise, it had been a slow morning with no one entering or exiting the back except the janitor, and he looked rather lethargic to begin with. He doubted the senile old man even recognized him anyway.

He was about to fall asleep behind the shades when the door opened once more and he peeked over the rim. Ah, his suspect was here.

Gokudera sighed as he let the door close behind him softly. Takayama had bullied the Tenth yet again and he couldn't do a thing about it…honestly, when the mission was over, he would be glad to blow this place to smithereens. He didn't know why he didn't do so in the first place. He really needed a cigarette. Fishing one out of the pack he kept in his back pocket, he reached for a lighter. Holding the flame, flickering gently in the sunlight, he brought it up to his face and noticed he was being watched.

Oh dammit, couldn't he smoke without the police breathing down his back? Lighting the one in his mouth, Gokudera took a draw before blowing a perfect smoke ring. How was that for classy? Stuffing the lighter back in one of his various pockets, he kept an eye on the nosy, snoopy cop that had cornered him before. They never rested, did they?

Oh so, the silver haired suspect smoked. Nothing this, Yamamoto wondered if it would be smart to call out that smoking did horrible things to the health. Not that he really cared; if the mafia went down one by one due to lung cancer, it would be a clean win. He himself had never dabbled with the stuff but the way the punk drew him in…was the mafia life as intriguing as it seemed to be? Back alley deals and fast hits…Yamamoto shook his head from the clouds just in time to see said suspect throw the cigarette to the ground and ground it out, almost like a threat. With another steely glare, the suspect disappeared behind the door again.

Yamamoto shrugged before starting back to the station. Rome wasn't built in a day.

To be continued…

--

Note: Arg! I'm filling up my plate with too much! First, this fanfic. Then my new Hetalia multishot. Then exams coming up. So…although I will try not to, I may put this on hiatus as the Hetalia idea is more fresh in my mind and I had to restrain myself from writing that instead of this latest chapter at 10:30 at night. Anyway, back to the story: my 6984 parts are turning out to be a hint like Claddagh…but maybe you like it that way? Yamamoto is such a punk. Tsuna is such a ninja fail. I am really in need of reviews. If I get a decent number, then I may or may not put this on hiatus. Reader reactions, guys! Also, I noticed NO ONE bothered to review my other new 6984 fic. I'm not feeling the love. And my writing his fueled on love.


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